Commission puts limits on ‘free’ mobile phone roaming

The extra fees for mobile phone calls, text messages and such will vanish next year for European travel, but there’s a catch. Consumers can only “roam” for 30 days at a time and only for a total of 90 days in a year, according to plans released today.

If a telecoms company suspects a customer is abusing the “roam-like-at-home” feature, they would have to notify the customer before slapping them with surcharge. The fees proposed by the Commission would also be capped at 4 cents per minute, 1 cent per SMS and 0.85 cents per MB.

“The Commission is setting the bar too low … and does not amount to end roaming in the EU,” said Johannes Kleis, a spokesperson for BEUC, the consumer advocacy group.

Today’s implementation act will be discussed with member countries and the EU’s telecoms regulator, BEREC, before being adopted December 15.

Not everyone loses out. Workers who live in one country and work across the border in another, say Luxembourg and Belgium, wouldn’t be subject to the time limits as long as they use their home network daily.

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Ana A

This Commission is really sad,not one promise has been upheld! And all 4 the money….. That’s it’s moto

Posted on 9/6/16 | 12:01 AM CET

Green

Great the Commission backtracking on the promise of no roaming charges and the free digital market to kiss the behind of mobile operators.
Great job screwing the consumers of Europe and the public you should care about, not the greedy telecoms.